Mason Community Kitchen coordinator Scott Zesch accepted a $1,000 check from Riata Service Organization past president Kay Evans. The Community Kitchen volunteers, under the direction of Eva Broad, chef, prepared 204 containers of beef and lentil soup with Italian seasonings this past Saturday, March 1. Riata is proud to support this worthy project within the Mason community.

Monday, February 17th, the MISD Board of Trustees voted unanimously to begin construction on a new wing to house science labs, a life skills lab and other junior high classrooms. This new construction will be funded by a combination of monies in the construction fund balance with the remainder being borrowed through low interest loan programs made available to school districts by legislation passed during the latest legislative session.

Members of the Fine Arts Association of the Hill Country will be treated to a very exciting program on Tuesday, March 11 by Judy Black Hall on Sketching Wildlife. The meeting will be held at 1:00 PM at the Eckert Civic Center in Mason.
Last September Judy went on a sketching and photography safari in South Africa.

Ready to Mix – A ribbon cutting ceremony was held Thursday, February 27th to celebrate the reopening of Mason Ready Mix at 1451 Landfill Road in Mason. Owner Zach Rabon has recently taken back the business after leasing it out for the last 5 years. Rabon has added a new fleet of equipment and upgrades to the business including three concrete mixing trucks and a haul truck.

This is one of those “accidental” recipe finds. While looking for something else, I stumbled across this one, it sounded fast and easy, just like the Practical Baker likes his recipes to be. In addition to being fast and easy, the end result is very tasty. Mrs. Practical Baker has already informed me that these will be the rolls we’ll serve at our Thanksgiving gathering.

“Rimuh! Thiway! Finnussasquirruh! Cummo!”
That’s what Ronnie Faulkner sounds like when he’s hunting squirrels. Ronnie lives in Alabama, where they speak a language that’s sort of like English, only different. It’s actually almost exactly like Texan, except that the only punctuation they use at the end of a sentence is a question mark, unless they’re talking to their dogs.

The Mason Lions club met Tuesday, February 25th, for its regular weekly meeting. There were 41 members and five visitors in attendance. Among the visitors were two Mason High School seniors, Caitlyn Felts and Kelly Kothmann.
Lion Mark Lehmberg was responsible for the program and introduced Tony Plutino and Tonya Huston who spoke about the Imidido Project.
Tonya explained that she was a physical therapist and had seen a need to help treat and educate the people of Rwanda, Africa, about the pro ...

My Mother was into “DO-DADS!” That is, she loved to make stuff. You know, DO DADS! Some seem to think that I, too, did the DO-DAD thing? THINK AGAIN, I don’t. Mother was the happiest when she had a can of red spray paint in her hand. She loved to decorate and redecorate.

Tommy Splittgerber recently donated a book, Ambassadors of the Aggie Spirit: The History of the Texas A & M Yell Leaders, that you may be interested in reading. Tommy, who was a yell leader from 1947-49, is listed in the book along with Red Duke and some other names you might be surprised to find.

No, we aren’t talking about a cholesterol test here. But, knowing your child’s GDL may very well save your child’s life. That’s because GDL stands for Graduated Driver Licensing. Like all states, including Washington D.C., Texas has a GDL law. This law can help parents set limits on their teen drivers and prevent needless injuries and deaths during this high-risk time when teens are learning to drive.

Ingredients are important, but many of us are too busy to read the labels. They are important on everything we use from cosmetics, household cleaners, pesticides, drugs, food, water and so on. There are increasing links between the number of toxic chemicals that we take in and the number of health problems we have.

The first Lenten lunch will be held today, March 5th at 12 noon at St. Paul Lutheran church with Hilda UMC hosting the lunch. The volunteer “caravaners” building the Habitat for Humanity Home will be joining us. Other lunches in March are on March 12th at River of Life, March 19th at First United Methodist in Mason, March 26th at First Baptist Church hosted by Art UMC.
There will be an Ash Wednesday worship service at 6 pm at Art UMC, followed by a worship service at 7 pm at St John Luther ...

Let’s face it. When national leaders agree to attend summit meetings, we don’t expect many tangible and/or desirable results. More likely, whatever proposals are on the table will cost billions, take great chunks of time and eventually run off the tracks.
Additional probable results include ill will, insincere apologies and/or posturing, not to mention much media window dressing.

Falling asleep.
Feels so good.
We all do it.
We all want to.
We all need to.
Watching others fall asleep is a good spectator sport.
Something magical happens.
We get a glimpse into another world.
A personal world.
Known only to the fall-ing-a-sleep-er.
A fussy baby finally conks out.
Or the resident insomniac.
Or maybe you’re having a conversation with your brother.
He just got off work.
It’s late.
His eyes start to close.
His head begins to fall forward.
He catches himsel ...

I was very disappointed to receive Rob Henneke’s attack piece on Andrew Murr in my mailbox. I do not know either gentleman, so I cannot speak to the honor and integrity of either one. Honestly, I did not vote for either one, I voted for Karen Harris in the District 53 State Rep Race.

Dozer Fitzgerald Gamel, the miniature Dachshund, is seven years old today, March 4, 2014. As I usually do, I've posted a photo of Dozer online, and he already has numerous greetings and good wishes.
Our pets become part of our lives. Even when they are a "back porch dog" or a "barnyard cat,"

All proceeds go to Mason County Cancer Benefit
Pinto Bean Rules:
2 members per team $25, $5 for each additional member
2 pounds of Pinto Beans will be provided, pick up at Mason Park Slab at 8 AM.
Judging will be held at 2pm, must have beans at judging station by 1:30pm.
Must provide your own extension cord.
Beans must be cooked on site.
Winner will be announced at 3pm, must be present to win.
Washer Pitching Contest Rules:
$10 per team (2 persons per team)
Must be signed in and ready ...

Country Music Association of Texas Hall of Famer Leon Rausch will headline a special tribute to Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys at the Llano Country Opry on Saturday, March 8, at the Lantex Theater in downtown Llano.
Tickets are on sale at the Llano Chamber of Commerce, Llano National Bank, Lively Computers in Kingsland and KNEL in Brady.

Join us Tuesday, March 25, at 5:30 PM in the Mason Elementary Library to learn more about The 7 Habits of Happy Kids, an inspiring picture book from the family that brought you The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. The short parent training session will give a brief overview of each of the 7 Habits, and will explain them so that you, as a parent, can guide your child to follow the 7 Habits at home to help him/her become a lifelong leader.
The first 25 families to register and attend will re ...

The March selection for the Library Book Club is The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd. The Book Club will meet in the Stribling Room on March 25 at 5:00 P.M. to discuss the book. The library has Kindle, Nook, and print copies. The book is also in the Overdrive digital library.

The annual Riata Rummage sale is Saturday, March 8th, beginning at 8:00 AM in the American Legion Hall located behind the Mason Jail.
There will be a large selection of glassware, dishes, decorative items, small appliances, toys, books, clothing, small furniture, etc.
Proceeds from the sale benefit projects such as Mason Clinic, Heritage Park, Mason Community Kitchen, the Odeon Theater, Mason ISD tuition program, as well as additional projects that arise.

Mason Independent School District was established in 1888. Today (March 5th) is the 125th day of school. In honor of our 125th birthday, we will host a celebration on the 125th day of school. There will be a short presentation shown in the auditorium followed by birthday cake in the commons area.

A benefit garage and bake sale is being held for lifetime Mason resident Brenda Davis on March 14th and 15th from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at US HWY 87 N. (See below for directions.)
Brenda was diagnosed with inflammatory breast cancer in late December 2012. In 2013 she faced months of chemo and radiation as well as major surgery.

The Mason Co. M. Beven Eckert Memorial Library is presenting a special program by Gisela Potts on Monday, March 17, at 6:30 P.M. in the Stribling Room. Gisela was born in Germany in 1926. For several years she did the things that all children did. Like most little girls, Gisela loved playing with her dolls, going to the movies, and sharing a joke with her little sister.

St. Paul Lutheran Church, 104 Magnolia, will hold a “Grand Jury Investigation” into the death of Jesus Christ as a part of their Lenten services beginning on Wednesday March 5 at 7:00 p.m.
The dramatic series, entitled “Why Did Jesus Die? A Grand Jury Investigation into the Death of Jesus of Nazareth” will take place every Wednesday evening at 7:00 p.m.

Having lived in Mason since 1997, I have had an opportunity to get acquainted with some of the beautiful examples of architecture here. I was fortunate to get to know Laverne Lee, and I have two of her watercolors of The Mason House. Also on display are a painting of the Spring Street Church and the Three Sunday Houses on North Liveoak.

The Arnold Art Gallery in Mason will feature collage paintings by Carole Greer during March. The exhibit opens Sunday March 9, and the exhibit remains open until April 1.
Carole Greer, a descendent from Kansas famers of Irish descent, is a retired drawing professor emeritus from the Texas State University at Ssn Marcos Texas.

Green is the color you must wear on St. Patrick’s Day. Failure to do so means anyone can pinch you, as I so painfully learned as a child. However, the Mason Scarlet Punchers, those daring defiers of tradition, will NOT be “wearing the green”’at their monthly get-together. Possibly because we were raised in the age of “what will the neighbors think,” we now boldly wear red hats and purple outfits and celebrate our individuality and uniqueness (as much as a bunch of identically dresse ...

“IT WAS A DARK AND STORMY NIGHT!” No – it’s not that famous quote which was voted the worst opening line of a novel. It was the February meeting of the Heart of Texas Chapter of the Daughters of the Republic of Texas when they had scheduled their February monthly meeting with a great guest speaker.

The Republican Women of Mason County will hold their bi-monthly luncheon meeting at noon in the Stribling Room of the Mason County Library on Wednesday, March 19th. The speaker will be Carol Wallrath of Operation Finally Home.
Operation Finally Home is a non-profit organization started by Dan Wallrath in 2005 and it’s mission is to “provide custom-built, mortgage free homes to America’s Heroes and the widows of the fallen who have sacrificed so much to defend our freedom and our way of ...

Riata held its regular meeting in the home of Joan Whitaker with Lola Hohn (above, left to right) serving as co-hostess. Kay Hudler (below, at left with Judy Cordes) presented the program, titled “The Psychology of it All”. Ms. Hudler practices as a Life Coach thru the Hilda Methodist Church.

Lydia Anne Bjork graduated from Tarleton State University in December with a Bachelors of Science in Agricultural and Environmental Sciences with an emphasis on Child and Family Studies. While attending Tarleton, she was very active on and off campus. Lydia was the co-founder and vice president of Tarleton State University Transfer Students United, was a member of Omicron Delta Kappa, National Leadership Honor Society, and Sigma Alpha Pi, National Society of Leadership and Success.

Mark Hurta, just returned from his second contract with Norwegian Cruise Line. First contract was on the Gem out of New York City, where I went to the Caribbean and the Bahamas. I received Vacation Hero for the photography department. Vacation Hero is “a crew member that has been the “Hero” of your vacation by delivering exceptional service.” My second contract was out of Boston and Tampa where the photography team received the Outstanding Team Award and I received Vacation Hero.

Tom and Susan Doell have been restoring the Hilda Lutheran Church located on their ranch. They want to put the steeple back on the church building. The cross that went on top of the steeple is displayed at the St. Paul Lutheran Church in Mason.
They could measure it and create a replica.

The Heart of Texas Country Music Association will celebrate its 25th Anniversary on March 21-29, in Brady.
The Association grew from KNEL’s Hillbilly Hits Radio show in Brady, to encompass an over 1,000 member organization, the Heart of Texas Country Music Museum, Heart of Texas Records, the Heart of Texas Recording Studio plus regular performances staged in Brady, Llano, Seguin, Mason and Marble Falls throughout the years.
The festivities will include a Welcome Party and Dance on the Frid ...

Arlis' pick of week....This is Shorty, fun loving and energetic! Just wants someone to spend time with and love. Come visit and have the pleasure of meeting this young man... he could be your next best friend. Ready for a new home that he can call his own. Check out Ole Yellow Animal Rescue Shelter soon at 717 Rainey St., MASON OR CALL for appointment at 325-347-2187.

HANK
From Hank’s foster mom.....
Hank is such a good and gentle dog. I know this because I am fostering him in my home. I had seen his photo and I love Catahoula’s, but when I saw him in person….let’s just say he made me a foster parent for the first time!
This boy deserves a great forever home full of love and affection. He needs to know it’s okay to follow you into the house and be part of your family. Once inside he is very well behaved. He will benefit from someone ...

The Community Thrift Store is a ‘shop-til-you drop’ destination for visitors to Mason! Seen recently with purchases in hand are Habitat RV Care-A-Vanners Mary Rosin, Deb Tate and Paula Brown being welcomed to Mason by Connie Stockbridge, who had stopped to donate good, useable items to be added to the shelves.

The Mason Study Club met on Wednesday, February 26th in the Stribling Room of the Library. Lunch was served by the hostesses, Mary Freytag, Trudy Irwin, Kathy Jordan and Deanna Handlin. Two new members were welcomed, Jan McCann and June Hall, pictured.
Carol Holmes introduced the guest speaker, Susan Summers, also pictured.

The Mason Co. M. Beven Eckert Memorial Library has started an heirloom seed exchange. The library has purchased various heirloom, or heritage, vegetable seeds. Heirloom seeds are seeds that date back many generations, some to the early American settlements, and they have not been genetically altered. Local gardeners interested in getting these free seeds must agree to replace them after they harvest.

W.E. Probst, age 92, of McKinney, Texas, passed away Tuesday, February 25, 2014, in McKinney, Texas. He was born September 5, 1921, to Ernest August and Bernice (Kirkpatrick) Probst.
W.E. married Charlotte Hurt on May 27, 1944, in Ballinger, Texas. He was a World War II veteran, serving for the Army Air Corps.

Coach Charlie Williams, beloved husband, father and coach, passed away Sunday February 23rd in Longview after a lengthy illness.
He was born December 29, 1930, in Refugio, TX, and graduated from Refugio HS in 1948 where he was a four sport letterman. He played college football and was a pole vaulter at Hardin Simmons University.

For our first game of the season the girls played well. For not having a lot of practice they exceeded my expectations. We have worked hard all week on fixing the little mistakes we made during the game and we will have a strong showing in the Sonora tournament this Thursday and Saturday.

This weekend the Cowgirls competed in the Junction Softball Tournament. We played with a lot of intensity against some tough teams. Overall the girls are getting better and working together as a team. We need to work on eliminating fielding errors, which will get better with practice and confidence. There were some great plays made this weekend and also some great hits by the Cowgirls.

The 2nd Annual Lee Graham Relays will be March 15th.
Field events will begin at 10 a.m. and the running finals will begin at approximately 2 p.m.; or, 1 hour after field events are over.
Anyone interested in working the meet can contact Coach Burns at 325.347.1122 ext 229. Hope to see you at the track.